2020-21 Statements

Dear Hamilton Students,

With Thanksgiving just a month away, I wanted to share with you our plans for the spring. Our experience with in-person instruction thus far proves that, despite the pandemic, we can bring our community together safely and accomplish our educational goals, while enjoying on-campus activities and each other’s company. Our success owes much to your cooperation with our health and safety protocols, and I appreciate the flexibility and resiliency you have shown.

Thank you also for the commitment you have made to your studies, your professors, and your peers. We cannot escape entirely the effects of COVID-19, but if we continue to follow the guidelines put in place for everyone’s safety, the disruptions will be manageable. We know the pandemic policies are challenging, but we also know they give us the best chance of minimizing positive cases and continuing with in-person education.

Even as we focus on concluding the fall term successfully, we are looking forward to welcoming new students who are arriving in late January, including January admits, transfers, and first-year students who deferred their enrollment from the fall.

In most respects, the College’s plans for the spring semester will very much resemble the plans for fall. We will continue to follow New York State (NYS) guidance for higher education and the best practices that we know from experience have been successful. Please read this message carefully, because it requires action on your part and contains information you should know.

  ACTION REQUIRED: Please read the information that follows and then complete this form by Friday, Oct. 30, to declare whether you intend to be on campus, study remotely, or request a leave of absence for the spring semester. We understand that your intentions may change after you submit the form, but your current thinking will help with our planning. If your intentions change, please complete the form again and your new response will be recorded.

Incoming students who are starting in January (i.e., first-year students who deferred from the fall, January admits, and January transfers) have the option to be present on campus or, if they can’t or shouldn’t travel to campus for pandemic-related reasons, to petition to complete their coursework remotely from home for the spring semester. New students may not defer their start for an additional semester, unless there are extenuating circumstances that should be considered by the Admission Office.

Returning students have the option to be present on campus, request to complete their coursework remotely from home, or request a personal leave of absence. Students who request a personal leave should do so understanding that there may be financial implications for not being enrolled in college (please speak with the Financial Aid Office), consequences for academic progress (please speak with your academic advisor and note that Hamilton’s policy of not accepting transfer credit for online courses taken at another institution will remain in effect for the spring semester), visa/SEVIS consequences for international students (please consult with Dean Harrison), and that it may not be possible to readmit students for the semester they prefer due to enrollment constraints, including housing or course limitations.

Remember, the deadline for completing the form to indicate your intent for the spring 2021 semester is Friday, Oct. 30.

 

What to Expect When You Return in January

Orientation is required for all new students and will take place from Friday Jan. 29, through Sunday, Jan. 31. New students who will be studying on campus in the spring will move in to their residence halls on Tuesday and Wednesday, Jan. 26 and 27. All new students — both those studying remotely and those studying on campus — will receive information about orientation via email.

Testing for COVID-19 and Quarantine
Pre-Testing: The College is working on a plan to provide a test kit for you to take with you when you leave campus at the end of the fall semester. The company we are most likely using will work with you to observe the test (virtually) when you take it on a specific date. If you are not on campus this fall, we will mail a kit to you. Do not lose the kit! You should self-administer the test seven days before your move-in date and mail it to the lab. You must receive a negative test result before coming to campus. We will send you a reminder to take the test and any updates on details.

Upon Arrival: Every student must go directly to the testing center and then check in with Residential Life. Students who were not on campus this fall will receive a health kit containing face coverings, thermometers, hand sanitizer, and instructions on self-care. After being tested, you will quarantine in your residence hall room until your test result comes back negative, which is usually within 24 to 36 hours. You will be allowed to leave your room to pick up food at a specific time at a specific dining location and then return to your room to eat and continue quarantine. You may want to bring some snacks with you to campus.

Required Quarantine for Students Coming from Restricted States and from Outside the USA: The joint travel advisory by New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut mandates that travelers from states with significant community spread of COVID-19 must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in New York State. Because of the large number of states now on the travel advisory list, we are reviewing options for meeting the quarantine requirements and will update you as soon as we can.

Health and Safety On Campus
COVID-19 Community Standards Agreement: The Student Code of Conduct is clear about our safety expectations. We will amend the COVID-19 Community Standards Agreement based on what we have learned this semester. All students will receive our updated standards and will be required to agree to these rules as a condition for coming to and remaining on campus.

Physical distancing and face coverings: Classrooms and other campus areas are configured for physical distancing. Winter weather will require us to be indoors most of the time, so it becomes even more important to wear masks and remain six feet apart. The only time you should remove your face covering is if you are in your room with your roommate, you are eating (and maintaining physical distance), or you are tending to personal hygiene.

COVID-19 Monitoring, Testing, and Tracing: As mandated by NYS, all students and employees are required to self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms on a daily basis. Hamilton will likely require students to be tested three times each week for the first two weeks of the spring semester and two times each week after that. We will assign certain days for your testing and it is essential that you test on those days.

Under current public health guidelines, anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 must isolate until cleared by medical personnel. Close contacts of anyone who tests positive must quarantine for 14 days. We have secured appropriate isolation and quarantine spaces for students and will provide food, health monitoring, and other support, so you should be able to continue your studies remotely for most courses. For more information, visit the FAQs page on the Returning to Campus website.

Academic Life
Spring Calendar
The Spring 2021 semester begins later than usual and will not include a spring break, but the revised calendar includes two wellness days with no classes. Orientation for new students will begin on Friday, Jan. 29. Classes will start on Monday, Feb. 1, and end on Tuesday, May 11. Wednesday and Thursday, May 12 and 13, are designated reading days, and finals will be conducted Friday to Tuesday, May 14 to 18.

Classes
Hamilton prides itself on the close engagement that occurs when faculty and students come together in small classes built around personalized instruction and lively group discussion. We aim to preserve this strength of a Hamilton education, while adapting the classroom experience as necessary to help ensure everyone’s health and safety.

Faculty will once again use a combination of in-person, hybrid, and blended learning. The course delivery method is noted in the online course catalogue. As soon as the weather permits, we will install canopies to be used as outdoor classroom and meeting spaces.

Most students are having a positive experience on campus this fall, and we encourage everyone to join our on-campus community for the spring. We know that some of you may decide to take classes remotely and others may decide to apply for a leave of absence. We will do what we can to assist students whose circumstances present obstacles to studying on campus in the spring.
 

Residential and Co-Curricular Life
Under NYS guidance, students sharing a room may be treated as a family unit and will not be required to wear face coverings or physically distance when in their rooms with their roommates. Occupancy of shared kitchen and lounge spaces will continue to be limited to permit physical distancing, and face coverings must be worn.

Dining halls must follow NYS guidance for restaurants. This requires a reduction in occupancy by as much as 50 percent and the elimination of buffet service. Accordingly, the College will continue working with Bon Appétit to offer multiple locations for dining and a mix of grab-and-go food options.

We will continue to plan events and activities that comply with physical distancing requirements so you will have co-curricular and social options without having to leave campus. Non-essential College travel is restricted for employees, and students should avoid unnecessary off-campus travel in order to limit the risk of exposure to and potential transmission of COVID-19.
 

Athletics and Extracurriculars
On Thursday, Oct. 8, the presidents of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) extended the current suspension of intercollegiate conference competition to the winter 2020-21 season. The decision for Hamilton applies to both varsity and club sports. The majority of the equipment from the Blood Fitness Center has been relocated to the Indoor Practice Facility so students can exercise and still observe distancing guidelines. The Bristol Pool, the Tietje Tennis Center, Pritchard Track, and the Simon Golf Center will be open (weather permitting) for limited, properly spaced activities that follow COVID-19 guidelines. A decision pertaining to the spring sports season will be made by the NESCAC presidents at a later date.
 

Questions?
If you have questions, please feel free to submit them and someone will respond as quickly as possible.